The present invention relates to a releasible locking arrangement, such as, a clasp device employed in affixing the ends of a necklace or similar object into a secure position.
Some of the known structural arrangements as disclosed in the prior art employ male and female members in a working relationship but, the ability to provide for a simple, relatively secure, and easy to manufacture arrangement has not been set forth in the prior art.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,501, there is disclosed a structure for affixing necklace beads where one of a given pair of bead members has a resilient insert which is in the form of a protruding head. This is the male portion, which is on the end of an extended neck portion for engaging a socket or female of another bead. A resilient mouth at the point of entry at of the socket, has shaped lips and receives the head, such lips are dimensioned to receive and retain the respective beads in the socket to thus allow joining together of the beads while allowing for relative angular movement of the male and female arrangement once engaged in the socket. The entry of the head into the adjacent socket is through longitudinal or slidable movement with engagement being carried out by a restricted lip opening and lip deformation during the entry of the head into the socket. Positive locking is not assured.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,238 the clasp for a necklace has a removable pin associated therewith which serves to open or engage the clasp locking members. The actual pin at its lower end seats into a recess and catch arrangement formed as part of an ornamental structure. Engagement of the clasp locking members and subsequent insertion of the pin through the openings formed therethrough is the sole basis for locking to take place.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,266,074, locking action of a clasp takes place through engagement of a yieldable projection into a notch or slot with subsequent displacement of the projection or rib from notches allowing for free movement of the clasp.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,913 a spring bias locking portion is urged into alignment with a central opening for engaging a neck portion of a male member and thereby locks the male at such point within the female. Release of the clasp is arranged by permitting the spring to cause disengagement of the neck area of a male member and allow withdrawal from the female passage. Basically, the locking action according to this patent is a function of slidable entry of a male portion into a female which in turn has a locking portion that is spring biased into an out of alignment with the path of travel of the male member.
In an another known device, namely, U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,873, there is provided a releasible coupling within elongated male member and a receiving structure having an entry as the female member. The male member is provided with a hook formation or detent at its end with an abutment in one direction. The female member has an abutment directed away from a passage and once the male member is inserted, engagement of the respective abutments occurs. A lug within the male portion governs the resilient hook movement within the passage in a direction of insertion. The resilient hook is displaceable out of register with the abutment of the female, to in turn permit withdrawal of the male projection from the passage. The hook formation which initiates locking has to be resiliently displaced relative to the lug so as to permit passage entry and release with respect to the female portion.